11 Apr
2013
11 Apr
'13
2:54 p.m.
On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 10:42 AM, Richard Hopkins <hopkinsrs(a)comcast.net>wrote;wrote:
In older contra dances, danced duple or triple proper,
same-sex
right-and-left-through moves are common -- that is, a R and L through
started from a position where two men are facing two women. Through the
folk process, we have largely abandoned that practice, and either don't
call those dances or call them much modified. There may be a number of
reasons for this, but I think likely part of it has been discomfort with
the same-sex interaction in that move. The folk process can take us in any
number of directions….
Maybe. If you've been through an evening where half or more of the dances
end with "down the hall and back, cast off, R/L through and back" (the
whole B part) you might come up with some more reasons.
I think the trend to improper formation owes more to flexibility and it
becoming more OK to mix the genders than people being uncomfortable lined
up with same gender.